COLUMBUS, Georgia (AP) -- A high school student was suspended for 10 days for refusing to end a cell phone call with his mother, a soldier serving in Iraq, school officials said.

The 10-day suspension was issued because Kevin Francois was "defiant and disorderly" and was imposed in lieu of an arrest, Spencer High School assistant principal Alfred Parham said.

The confrontation Wednesday began after the 17-year-old junior got a call at lunchtime from his mother, Sgt. 1st Class Monique Bates, who left in January for a one-year tour with the 203rd Forward Support Battalion.

Cell phones are allowed on campus but may not be used during school hours. When a teacher told him to hang up, he refused. He said he told the teacher, "This is my mom in Iraq. I'm not about to hang up on my mom."

Parham said the teen's suspension was based on his reaction to the teacher's request. He said the teen used profanity when taken to the office.

"Kevin got defiant and disorderly," Parham said. "When a kid becomes out of control like that they can either be arrested or suspended for 10 days. Now being that his mother is in Iraq, we're not trying to cause her any undue hardship; he was suspended for 10 days."

CNN

Seems more than a tad overboard for the school system. Ten days is alot. Shouldn't have gotten any at all IMO. This was at lunch, not during a class and it was his mother in Iraq. Any way you slice it, the school system comes off like heartless beasts. I hope they either relent on the punishment or suffer serious illwill for their stance.

Hm, that really sounds a bit harsh...
Is it "normal procedure" in the US to not allow cell phones during the breaks at all??
I don't think we have many (any?) schools here in Norway that doesn't allow that..

Thats a bunch of BS. I would do the same thing if it was me. I would never hang up on my mom, even if she was in Iraq or any other place where I could not see her everyday or at least once a month.

Originally Posted by Redleg

Hm, that really sounds a bit harsh...
Is it "normal procedure" in the US to not allow cell phones during the breaks at all??
I don't think we have many (any?) schools here in Norway that doesn't allow that..

yea, my friend got her phone taking up because her mom called her phone to tell her to get on the bus...
she normally would have called the school but our school doesnt deliver messages to reliably

That's a load of bull on the school system's part. I'll be damned if there's someone here who would have hung up. Here.......fighting, you get suspended 10 days. There are people who hate talking to their mom, it just seems extremely insensitive.


At my school we're allowed to have our phones and use them when class is not in session (lunch, passing time, etc).

Originally Posted by DlanoeG

That's a load of bull on the school system's part. I'll be damned if there's someone here who would have hung up. Here.......fighting, you get suspended 10 days. There are people who hate talking to their mom, it just seems extremely insensitive.


At my school we're allowed to have our phones and use them when class is not in session (lunch, passing time, etc).

Same here. You can use it anytime when you're not in class. Also, my school is understanding enough not to do that, sometimes.

Well at least they reduced his suspension to three days. I think one day's detention would've sufficed - if that. The school system is saying they offered him time for the call and he refused, well he was on the line with his mom during lunch. How was school disrupted in any way during that time?

thats bull....once the school had recieved an explanation and an appoligy from the kid thats where it should've ended

more concern to me is the two options the school uses is suspension or ARREST!


wtf!?! you're gonna arrest kids for getting rowdy? jeez

Bureaucrats. Idiots who realize they don't have a real job.
I hate them and this is why.